


Taking the Plunge

by doxian



Category: Free!
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, Free! Kink Meme, Gift Exchange, Love Confessions, M/M, Polyamory, Polyamory Negotiations
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-09
Updated: 2014-11-09
Packaged: 2018-02-24 15:00:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,431
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2585678
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/doxian/pseuds/doxian
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Makoto has a confession to make to Rin.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Taking the Plunge

**Author's Note:**

  * For [evils](https://archiveofourown.org/users/evils/gifts).



> Also inspired by [this prompt on the kink meme](http://iwatobiswimclub.dreamwidth.org/2701.html?thread=3760781#cmt3760781). 
> 
> Thank you to boco and Tumblr user suspenderproblems for beta-reading!

Rin gets Makoto's text when he's in the middle of getting ready for bed.

He's pulling on a pair of shorts and reveling in the feeling of _carpet_ under his toes now that he's rooming with Sousuke, rather than boxer-briefs or books or stuffed animals or any of Nitori's other crap. Sousuke is already lounging on the top bunk, reading the book they've been assigned for literature class. 

Rin catches sight of his phone blinking on his desk and grabs it, flopping onto the bottom bunk and sliding the phone open. While it's not unusual for Makoto to call or message him at this hour, he knows that the Iwatobi Swim Club captain had been busy preparing for an English test this week, so Rin hadn't been expecting to hear from him until the weekend, at least.

"Huh," grunts Rin, frowning at the message. 

"Something happen?" Sousuke asks. Rin can hear him shifting around above him, probably looking over the edge of the bunk to see if he can catch sight of Rin and his expression.

"I'm not sure," Rin says. "Makoto is asking to meet up tomorrow, he says he needs to talk to me." 

Sousuke makes a non-committal sort of sound above him. 

"Maybe he wants to give you the best friend talk now that you're - " he pauses " - _dating_ Nanase. 'Don't hurt him or I'll never forgive you', that kind of thing."

Rin frowns.

"No, you ass, that's something _you_ would do," he says, because the idea of gentle, supportive Makoto intimidating him like that is laughable - not that he wouldn't deserve it. He'd thought he'd messed everything up with his friends so badly that he'd spent the end of the summer in shock that he'd even been able to swim with them again - to swim with _Haru_ again. 

He can't think of what might be bothering Makoto, though, and he has remind himself sternly not to worry when he settles down to sleep. 

\--

As soon as practice gets out the next day, Rin hops on the train. He and Makoto decided to meet at a park halfway between their respective schools, and Rin arrives at the entrance right when the sun is starting to set. 

Makoto has gotten there first. Rin doesn't even need to look for him to spot him. His tall frame stands out easily among the students and kid-toting parents who come and go, but he's staring at the ground and slouching a little. Rin was right to be concerned after all, because Makoto clearly looks like something is weighing heavily on his mind.

Rin jogs the remaining short distance over to him and punches him lightly in the shoulder in greeting. 

"Hey, Makoto."

"Rin!" Makoto's serious face breaks into a smile. "Thanks for coming. I hope I didn't disturb you last night."

Makoto's warm expression sends relief through Rin's chest that's quickly followed by affectionate exasperation. Makoto doesn't need to focus on reassuring Rin when _he's_ the one with the problem, whatever it might be. 

"It wasn't an issue," Rin says. "So. What was it you wanted to tell me?"

Makoto hesitates. 

"Um... let's find somewhere to sit, first, instead of standing here and blocking the entrance..." 

Two vending machine drinks and one secluded bench under the trees later, Makoto has exhausted all the small talk he could possibly drag up, which Rin finds pretty impressive, and now he's silently clenching and unclenching his hands around his can of soda.

"Makoto." Rin rests a hand lightly on his friend's back, feeling uniquely ill-equipped to deal with... whatever this is. "Did something happen?"

As if Rin's hand on his shoulder had somehow infused him with resolve, Makoto suddenly stands up to face Rin and, to Rin's absolute confusion, bows deeply. 

"Rin, I..." Makoto swallows. "I have. Feelings. For Haru. That's what I wanted to tell you. I'm sorry."

Makoto looks so upset that Rin gets to his feet and places his hands on Makoto's shoulders again as the other boy straightens back upright. 

"I'm not going to tell Haru or do anything about it. But you're dating now, and my feelings for Haru aren't showing any sign of going away. I thought it was only fair to tell you." Now that Makoto has actually started the conversation, he sounds calm and serious rather than nervous.

"Makoto, that's - you don't need to apologize for that," Rin says emphatically.

Makoto's eyes are downcast and his fists are still clenched, so Rin squeezes his shoulders more urgently. "If anything, I should be the one apologizing to _you_." 

Now Makoto looks confused.

"What? Why?" 

"Because I already knew you liked Haru," he admits. 

Of course he knew. How could he not know? Even though Makoto had never said anything about it before, it had been obvious to Rin from the moment he saw the two of them again, and the knowledge had been sitting at the back of his mind as an immutable fact all this time. He'd just been too caught up in his own tumultuous feelings for Haru to be able to - or want to - deal with it. And then Rin had freaking _cried_ all over Haru at the meet, and hugged him after they swam in the relay, and impulsively kissed him in the changing rooms after almost everyone else had left. Everything had happened so fast. 

But. 

"I should have talked to you about it," Rin continues, searching Makoto's face, "instead of going ahead by myself." 

Makoto finally meets Rin's gaze properly. 

"No, what you did was fine," he says evenly. "Haru was free and you approached him. I don't blame you for that. It's not your fault I never confessed to Haru myself."

Rin lets go of him. They sit down on the bench again, Rin sitting so close to Makoto that they're practically pressed together from shoulder to knee. 

"Are we okay?" Rin asks gruffly. 

Makoto smiles at him again, and it's less wide this time, more contemplative, but also more genuine. 

"Yes." 

Makoto's drink is still in his hands. He opens it, the hiss of the carbonation merging with the wind rustling the leaves and the distant sounds of children playing. 

"You should tell Haru," Rin eventually says, right as Makoto takes a sip of his drink. 

Makoto chokes, and Rin pounds his back as he coughs up the liquid, muttering _sorry_. 

"Rin... I think that would just make things complicated," Makoto says, looking pained. "He's dating _you_."

"Well, _yeah_ , but..." Rin rubs the back of his neck in frustration. An idea is beginning to form in his mind, but Makoto and Haru really need to talk to _each other_ about this, rather than Rin speaking on Haru's behalf.

That said, the pair of them have made exactly zero moves throughout the entire school year, and unless Rin gives them a gentle nudge in the right direction, things are likely to stay that way. 

"You really need to talk to Haru. Trust me."

" _Rin_ ," Makoto says, voice stern. "You're not thinking of breaking up with Haru because of me, are you?" 

"No," Rin shakes his head quickly. "Don't worry. You can date Haru without me doing that."

Makoto's eyes widen as realization dawns, and his face reddens.

"...Oh. _Oh._ " 

"Yeah," Rin says, noting that Makoto doesn't seem to be worried about whether Haru returns his feelings or not. Of course, Makoto would have been able to read Haru well enough to see that Haru was, frankly, smitten with him, but then - 

"Wait, why _haven't_ you said anything to him all this time?"

"I don't know," Makoto groans. He places the empty soda can on the ground and puts his face in his hands. "Things were fine the way they were. And the way Haru was before... I think he needed a friend more than... I thought things would be better if we stayed friends." 

"But are you happy with it?" Rin presses. "With things being left like that."

"No..." Makoto murmurs into his hands. 

"Okay. Then it's settled." 

Rin somehow manages to nudge even closer. He'd first brought this up out of a desire to see Makoto and Haru happy, but the light, effervescence that's fizzing in his chest seems a bit much, even if he is happy for them. No, it seems that he's genuinely excited about Makoto being a part of this - of what he and Haru have - not only for their sake, but for his own as well. 

"Um. If it's not too much trouble," Makoto is asking tentatively, "I'd really like you to be around when I do it. Do you mind? Is it okay?"

"Huh?"

"When I talk to Haru," Makoto clarifies. "If you really think we could, you know... you should be there too, right?

Makoto's face is getting redder by the second. 

"Oh, I see how it is," Rin says teasingly, leaning back and spreading his arms out along the back of the bench and grinning. "Afraid you'll lose your nerve? Need me there for moral support?"

Makoto sighs, blushing bright red behind his fingers, now. "Maybe? You don't have to come if you don't want to - "

"No, I was just messing with you. I'll definitely come," Rin says earnestly, surprised at how glad he is that Makoto _wanted_ him to be there in the first place. 

Makoto moves his hands slightly to uncover his eyes, matches his gaze with Rin's, and says, "Thank you." 

Rin can tell by the crinkles at the corners of those eyes that he's smiling.

\--

When Rin knocks on Makoto's door the following Saturday, at first he thinks that nobody is home.

He knocks again. And again. Finally, he hears footsteps that get louder and louder before the door bursts open. 

"Rin!" He's greeted by Makoto's worried face. "I can't do it, I can't do it after all, I've been thinking about it all week and I have no idea what to say to him - "

"What?!" Rin exclaims. "Makoto - "

"And - are you sure it's really okay? For all three of us to be together like that? What if it doesn't work? What if Haru doesn't want to - "

Rin grabs Makoto's hand from where it's resting on the door frame, and brusquely pulls Makoto through the door, letting it slam shut behind them.

"I want you to be with Haru," he says, seriously. "I want you to be with _us_. And - I can't speak for Haru, obviously, but I would never have suggested you talk to him if I didn't have some idea about how he'd react." 

That's as close as he can get to shouting _he likes you back, dammit!_

"Can you picture someone like Haru having a problem with something like this?" Rin starts walking, dragging Makoto behind him, registering the faint _no_ from his friend.

"Yeah. And I think that you two are close enough that you'll be able to manage if everything does go to shit." He continues leading Makoto along the path towards Haru's house. "Whatever happens, you should at least give it a shot." 

"I hope you're right," Makoto says in a low voice, but he sounds noticeably calmer.

Haru's wearing pajama pants and an apron and is holding a spatula in one hand when he answers the door. His typical neutral expression - placid and slightly bored-looking - morphs into bemusement and then into surprise when he sees them.

"Rin? Makoto?" 

"Hey," Rin answers, casually. He's still holding Makoto's hand. "Can we come in?" 

Haru nods at them and wordlessly turns around to go back inside, heading back to the kitchen. Sizzling and the unmistakable smell of mackerel drift through the house. 

Rin toes off his shoes, Makoto following suit. Haru may be as stoic as usual, but Rin can see how curious he is about why they're here. Makoto must be able to tell, too. 

They both trail uncertainly into Haru's living room. The sizzling stops, and Haru returns, spatula-and-apron-free.

"Do you want some tea?" he asks. 

The three of them end up sitting awkwardly around Haru's table - Rin and Makoto opposite each other with Haru between them. Makoto is holding his cup in both hands and looking down at it, much like he had when he'd spoken to Rin at the park; Haru is watching Makoto carefully; and Rin is beginning to wonder if he should say something to stop the uncomfortable silence from stretching on. Fortunately, Makoto starts speaking first.

"Haru. We're here because I need to tell you something," he says, firmly and decisively.

Okay. That's a decent start, Rin thinks, except then Makoto takes a deep breath... and promptly looks helplessly at Rin.

Rin raises his eyebrows. 

"What?"

Now Haru has turned to stare at him as well. 

Rin sighs. 

"Oh, _fine_. Haru, Makoto likes you and wants to date you, too," he announces. 

Haru and Makoto both look at him with wide-eyed expressions - Haru with that look he gets when he sees the ocean, and Makoto with shock at Rin's blunt statement. 

_You're the one who wanted me to say it!_ Rin hopes to convey with his frown in Makoto's direction.

Haru interrupts their impromptu staring contest by saying: "Okay."

"'Okay?'" Rin echoes, almost in disbelief at that's all Haru has to say. 

But Makoto's voice when he says Haru's name is full of surprised joy, and then they're talking over each other in a rush, and Haru is leaning over the table to cup Makoto's face in his hands and kiss him. 

Rin's heart feels full as he watches them - Makoto smiling through the kiss and covering Haru's hands with his, and Haru with his eyes squeezed shut in concentration and holding on to Makoto as if he might disperse into mist if he let go.

Eventually, though, Rin starts to feel weird and out of place looking at them like that, maybe even a tiny bit jealous. They probably want a bit of time to themselves anyway, so he gets up to try and discreetly sneak outside for a while. 

He only manages to stand up when he feels a tug - Haru's hand is on his arm. 

"Don't go," Haru says emphatically. He's pulled away from Makoto but his hand is still possessively on the other boy's waist, his mouth already distractingly pink from kissing.

"Yes, Rin," Makoto says, still smiling and flushed with happiness and looking at him with eyes filled with love. "Stay." 

Rin looks between them both, almost overwhelmed for a second with how grateful he is that they are both _his_ , however differently, and he can't help but smile, too. 

"I'm not going anywhere."


End file.
